In a production process of electronic devices, such as IC devices, there has been used an electronic device testing apparatus for testing performances and functional capabilities of IC devices in a situation where IC devices are embedded on a semiconductor wafer or packaged.
As the apparatus for testing electrical characteristics of an IC device embedded on a semiconductor wafer W under test, as shown in FIG. 6, one which pushes a wafer W by a prober 90 against a probe card 50 and tests the electrical characteristics of the IC device by a tester (not shown) via the probe card 50 and the test head 10 in the state bringing probe needles 51 mounted on the probe card 50 into electrical contact with electrodes of the IC device.
A heat source 94 is provided in the prober 90. Due to heating and cooling the semiconductor wafer W by the heater, a test of the IC device is executed under the condition where a predetermined heat stress is applied on the semiconductor wafer W.
Meanwhile, the probe card 50 is tightly fixed to a holder 70 by using screws 55 or the like at a peripheral portion thereof. Accordingly, when there occurs a thermal expansion or a thermal contraction in the probe card 50 in accordance with a temperature change of the semiconductor wafer W, the probe card 50 deforms in the vertical direction, as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, thereby front ends of the probe pins 51 fluctuate in their heights. As a result, contact pressures of the probe needles 51 pressed to the electrodes on the semiconductor wafer W under test fluctuate, and it may be difficult to perform a test in high accuracy.